People's Democracy

P J THOMAS ISSUE

SC Verdict Indicts UPA Govt

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on March 3, 2011.

THE verdict of the Supreme Court setting aside the appointment of P J Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), is a serious indictment of the UPA government. The Supreme Court has stated that the high-powered panel headed by the prime minister did not consider the integrity aspect of the institution of the Central Vigilance Commission.

The manner in which the former telecom secretary was appointed as the CVC is directly related to how the UPA government handled the 2G spectrum scam. The prime minister has reiterated in parliament that there was nothing wrong with the telecom policy as such and that only there were problems in implementation. With such a blinkered view, the appointment of P J Thomas, ignoring his record, is part of the piece.

With this judgement of the Supreme Court, the prime minister and the government stand exposed to the charge that they are not concerned with ensuring the integrity of the CVC or fighting corruption in high places.